Alabama

Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad

This is actually a recipe repeat because I eat this watermelon salad several times during the summer. I guess you could say I really like this salad! You can play with these ingredients to your own preferences, but I find it is at its very best when I follow the recipe. However, I may slice or chop, whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.

I converted the measurements but left the recipe completely in Nigella's voice. Nobody describes food the way Nigella can.

Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp. Two limes' worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.

Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm triangular chunks, if that makes sense (maths is not my strong point). Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.

Tip the now glowingly puce onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don't lose their shape. Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime. Hava Negila! The taste of Tel Aviv sunshine!